Tom Kim is ranked upper within the Official World Golf Rankings than the next gamers: Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Sam Burns and Tyrrell Hatton. What makes this extra spectacular? Tom Kim is 21 years outdated.Â
On Sunday, Kim received his 2d consecutive Shriners Children’s Open, this time through a stroke over Adam Hadwin. Somehow, even supposing this used to be his 3rd PGA Tour win, it’s going to were much more unexpected than the primary two which each got here at age 20. Anybody can win a event — possibly even two — through discovering a sizzling putter. But to win 3 throughout 15 months with the type of iron play Kim has displayed so far in his profession is a special factor altogether.
“Those two wins, I was playing my game,” Kim stated. “I wasn’t thinking about, ‘OK, I need to win this event, I need to do this.’ No, I played and it happened. It happened very naturally. It happened very quick.
“I believe through the tip of remaining 12 months, two wins at the PGA Tour abruptly ranked thirteenth on the planet. Suddenly you are feeling like you might be proper there and you wish to have to do one thing further. But it in point of fact wasn’t. I felt like I nearly added a large number of power in opposition to myself to accomplish in point of fact smartly this 12 months. But in point of fact it is been an overly large studying curve for me and it is very humbling as a way to enjoy what I’ve skilled this 12 months.Â
“That’s why I feel like this third one is even sweeter.”
Perhaps much more spectacular than Kim’s 3rd win and his No. 11 OWGR status is his No. 13 rating on Data Golf, which is an entity that doesn’t glance at leagues, wins or anything, handiest how excellent you’re in comparison to your friends at getting the ball within the hollow. Kim, because it seems, is beautiful excellent.
What surprises me about Kim’s encore 12 months — some other win and keeping up that high 15 rating on Data Golf — after successful two times in 2022 is each that he received once more (successful is very tough, even in lesser-field occasions) and likewise that he thrived at the key championships in tactics I used to be no longer positive he would.
My problems with Kim had little or no to do with the individual (unusual and electrical) nor the participant according to se (extraordinarily talented) and extra with how trendy golfing is structured. Kim isn’t lengthy off the tee, which makes it tough to take care of at lots of the golfing lessons.Â
It is sensible that his luck has come at TPC at Summerlin (7,000 yards) and Sedgefield (underneath 7,000 yards), nevertheless it additionally is sensible that he had best 10s at each the Open Championship and U.S. Open. The former is the place shorter hitters steadily in finding their perfect main finishes and the latter performed shorter than most up-to-date U.S. Opens.
There might want to be some recalibration to the Tom Kim fashions. I’m nonetheless doubtful that he is going to win, say, a contemporary PGA Championship with the best way it’s lately arrange or a U.S. Open relying at the venue. But can he be aggressive at the opposite majors and at a large number of PGA Tour stops alongside the best way?
Absolutely, and listed below are the 2 primary causes.
1. He is an elite iron participant. His 0.71 strokes won according to spherical on means photographs is bested through handiest Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Rose and Gary Woodland amongst those that have sufficient certified rounds. This is unusual corporate. Kim and Hideki Matsuyama (Hideki Matsuyama!) have the similar strokes won means quantity during the last one year.
2. He’s particular. Winning 3 times at the PGA Tour is a large deal. To accomplish that at 21 years, 4 months is nearly unprecedented. As we speak about at all times, successful is a talent, and Kim has that talent. It does not imply he will win all of them, however he is obviously a more in-depth and the numbers — youngest three-time winner since the most efficient to ever do it — talk for themselves.
There is such a lot to like about Kim. He joked on Sunday that he used to be going to have a good time his 3rd Tour win through completing a chocolate bar he’d been heading off. He used to be an electrical manufacturing facility at the Presidents Cup remaining 12 months. He frolicked with the Spieth circle of relatives all the way through Christmas and babysat their kid.
None of that performs, despite the fact that, if he is not a luck at the golfing path. The excellent news for him is that you’ll be able to faux it for somewhat on shorter lessons and with among the proper breaks. But you can’t faux it for this lengthy and with the ones numbers, particularly at main championships. Last 12 months confirmed that Kim may just be the true deal at this level for moderately a very long time. This 12 months — together with Sunday’s win — confirmed that he in fact shall be.